Thanksgiving Traditions

By Christy Rost, November 2005

Every Thanksgiving, I rise early in the morning, tiptoe quietly out to the kitchen in my slippers and cozy robe, and turn on the television to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parades. As the kitchen fills with the sights and sounds of marching bands, colorful floats, giant whimsical balloons, and crowds full of darling children, I take comfort in the knowledge that hundreds, and even thousands of miles away, my mother and sisters are starting their day in the same manner. It’s a family tradition.

While the television cameras catalog last-minute preparations for the parade, I begin the task of readying our Thanksgiving turkey. About the time the parade master blows the whistle to start the procession of floats and bands, I am chopping aromatic onions and celery for the stuffing. The bread cubes or cornbread, depending on which stuffing I’m preparing that year, have been readied the day before, so it’s simply a matter of stirring the aromatics, dried fruit, and bread together, adding the herbs, and stirring in eggs and liquid to bind the mixture together.

My mother, three sisters, and I all prepare our Thanksgiving turkeys while wearing our robes, and always while watching the parades. I discovered this a few years ago, and assume it’s a matter of genes. Even with the miles that separate us, I feel closer and more connected, knowing my mother, sisters, and I share this tradition. We may not gather around the same table on Thanksgiving night, but we started our day together, at least in the spirit of tradition.

As you celebrate Thanksgiving in your home this year, I encourage you to take a moment and reflect on the holiday traditions handed down through your family. Charity 5K runs, feeding the hungry, a walk in the country, or watching the parades – these are Thanksgiving traditions worth repeating year after year.

May you and your loved ones have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Note: Christy Rost’s cookbook, The Family Table: Where Great Food, Friends, and Family Gather Together ( Capital Books. Inc) is now available in a new paperback edition. Please visit your local bookstore, or look for it online. Beginning December 1, 2005, Christy’s book will be available in Christian bookstores throughout the nation.